Legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt spent a brisk Monday morning greeting golfers and sharing laughs before her charity golf tournament got under way at the Cherokee Country Club.
“You sure you want a picture with me?” she joked to one group of golfers.
Summitt was all smiles for the charity event, but when her statue is unveiled later this year, it might be more likely to feature her trademark icy stare.
Tennessee plans to unveil a statue of Summitt as early as this fall as part of the renovated streetscape on Lake Loudon Boulevard near the university’s athletic facilities.
Summitt, who officially stepped down from full-time coaching and assumed the title of head coach emeritus last year, has already been honored with a statue at UT Martin, her alma mater.
Soon she’ll have a second statue in Knoxville.
“It’s a very important component of the larger Lake Loudon project,” Dave Hart said. “There’s a natural embankment by Thompson-Boling Arena, and we’re working with architects to find the best place for the statue.”
Hart said the timing of the project is still uncertain, but he hopes it can be completed soon.
“We’re hopeful that by fall the entire project will be completed. I can’t say for certain that the statue will be there by then, but it will be obvious where the plaza and the statue will go,” he said.
Hart said the decision to honor Summitt was a no-brainer.
“It’s very exciting to be able to present this to the greatest coach of all time,” he said.
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